PFUJ, CPNE condemn Sindh journalist’s murder

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen M Mazari on Monday strongly condemned the murder of journalist Aziz Memon and called for constituting an inquiry committee on the matter.

Speaking on a point of order in the National Assembly, the minister said Aziz Memon had informed the authorities concerned a few days ago about threats to his life; however, no timely action was taken by the police to protect him.

The committee should be constituted to probe the murder of Aziz Memon so that those involved in the incident should be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has requested Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed to take notice of journalist Aziz Memon’s killing. Taking to the Twitter, Fawad Chaudhry said Sindhi journalist Aziz Memon had accused province’s ruling party in one of his videos and even came to Islamabad to apprise about death threats from the PPP. He requested the CJ SC to take notice and investigation by a federal agency into the murder.

President Mehrabpur Press Club Aziz Memon was strangulated to death on Sunday in Sindh’s district Naushero Feroze.

According to police, the journalist was found dead and initially the probe found that he was strangulated using a wire.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah after taking notice of the killing of Aziz Memon has summoned a detailed report into the matter from the DIGP Shaheed Benazirabad.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has also severely condemned the brutal murder of senior journalist Aziz Memon and demanded a judicial enquiry from a judge of Sindh High Court.

In a joint statement, PFUJ President Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi called for immediate arrest of the murderer of Aziz Memon who earlier in video message viral on the social media demanded security as he was receiving threats of life as he had reported paid participants for Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari long march last year. He even named some officials of Sindh government who threatened him of dire consequences.

“It’s a brutality and inhuman act of murder of Aziz Memon who was killed and his body was thrown into a canal”, said the statement of PFUJ leaders. The statement said that the strong voices of media and professional journalists cannot be silenced as the community is determined to protect the independence of media and will fight till last.

“We want an immediate and urgent enquiry into the incident by a judge of a Sindh High Court and immediate arrest of the murders of Aziz Memon”, the PFUJ leadership demanded.

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) strongly condemned the brutal murder of Aziz Memon and demanded to arrest the murderers immediately.

In a joint statement on Monday Arif Nizami President CPNE, Dr. Jabbar Khattak Secretary General and other office bearers expressed their deep shock on this incident. This has become a custom by culprits to attack journalists in the line of duty and media houses for their ulterior motives and no attacker is brought to justice so far. The government and its departments have miserably failed to investigate and bring killers of journalists to justice, they lamented.

Arif Nizami said that immediate action by law enforcement agencies and government on any such threat to journalists could have saved their lives. Brutal murder of Aziz Memon a reporter of KTN and daily Kawish is the continuation of attacks on journalists and media houses by such elements. It has put a big question mark on performance of government and its departments, he mentioned.

Arif Nizami said that such attacks were deliberate attempts to suppress dissenting voices. He demanded of Prime Minister Imran Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and IG Police Sindh to immediately arrest killers of journalist Aziz Memon and bring them to justice.